WHEN Blues and Coventry were paired in the fourth round of the FA Cup at Highfield Road on January 24, 1981 the tie could not have been tougher to call.

Both clubs dwelt right next to each other in the First Division table, 14th and 15th, both with 27 points from 24 games. They had already met twice in the league, each winning at home.

A tight game beckoned. And tight it was – a cracker, which finished 3-2 to the hosts, for the near-30,000 crowd.

Blues arrived with the flamboyant Frank Worthington up front but, in the run-up to the game, the Sky Blues’ Birmingham-born centre-half Paul Dyson declared: “Frank has never frightened me.”

And there was little to frighten the home side in a first half they dominated.

With Jeff Wealands injured, 19-year-old Tony Coton was in goal for Blues and they had to weather heavy pressure but Coton was beaten in the 29th minute when Garry Thompson eluded Colin Todd and David Langan and crossed for Gerry Daly to score.

A minute before half-time a half-clearance fell to Andy Blair and the proud product of Bedworth executed a perfect lob. Two up at the break, the Sky Blues had one foot in round five.

But Blues, driven from midfield by Archie Gemmill, mounted a ferocious comeback. On 52 minutes, Gary Gillespie clattered Alan Ainscow in the box and Worthington sent Les Sealey the wrong way from the spot.

Just past the hour all the noise was from the visiting fans when Alan Curbishley sent a cross up to the far post and Ainscow arrived to head home. Two-two. Game on.

Then came controversy. Ninety seconds after drawing level, Blues switched off at the back and Steve Hunt darted into the area only to go down under challenge from Todd. To huge protests, a penalty was awarded – and Daly kept his nerve to make it 3-2.

Blues plugged away as a fascinating midfield battle – Daly and Blair against Gemmill and Curbishley – raged. With Birmingham-born winger Peter Bodak peripheral to the struggle, the Sky Blues were hard-pressed at times but Dyson and Gillespie stood tall and they hung on.

Predictably, post-match the decisive penalty drew different reflections from those involved.

“My leg was outstretched and Hunt dived over it,” said Todd. “I felt someone hit me from behind and my leg just went,” said Hunt.

Whatever the justice of it all, Coventry were through and heading for an emotion-churning week in mid-February, which was to bring League Cup semi-final heartbreak, courtesy of an apparently offside goal in injury-time from West Ham’s Jimmy Neighbour, then, four days later, a Valentine’s Day FA Cup fifth-round exit to a Spurs side destined to go on and lift the trophy.

Blues, meanwhile, revived in Division One – but had to endure the sight of arch-rivals Villa finishing top of it.